Approval for Foreigners Conducting Field Surveys or Filming Activities Involving National Key Protected Aquatic Wild Animals in China

I. Basic Information

1. Department Name: Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of Hainan Province

2. Service Targets: Natural persons, enterprise legal entities, public institution legal entities, social organization legal entities

3. Office Hours: Monday to Friday, 8:00–12:00 and 14:30–17:30 (closed on weekends and public holidays; no seasonal schedule adjustments in Hainan)

4. Address:

Minsheng Education Service Window, 1st Floor, Hainan Government Affairs Service Center, No. 3 Wuzhishan South Road, Haikou City, Hainan Province

5. Contact Information:

(1) Phone: 0898-65203016

(2) Online inquiry: [wssp.hainan.gov.cn](http://wssp.hainan.gov.cn)

(3) Email: [nyspb@126.com](mailto:nyspb@126.com)

(4) Supervision and complaints: 0898-12345

6. Statutory Processing Time Limit: 20 working days

7. Committed Processing Time Limit: 17 working days

II. Application Materials

1. Survey Application Report (2 originals)

Source: Prepared by applicant

Legal Basis: Article 43 of the Wildlife Protection Law of the People’s Republic of China

Acceptance Criteria: The report must be complete, truthful, detailed, and accurate; scanned copies must be clear and properly formatted; documents must bear an official seal.

Filling Instructions: The report must include information on foreign participants, routes, schedules, objectives, and specimen collection.

2. Application Form for Foreigners Conducting Surveys on Rare and Endangered Aquatic Wild Animals in China (2 originals)

Source: Obtain at service window or download from the Government Service Website

Legal Basis: Article 43 of the Wildlife Protection Law of the People’s Republic of China

Acceptance Criteria: Fully and accurately completed, stamped with an official seal, and consistent with applicant information.

Filling Instructions: Complete truthfully and thoroughly. The legal representative (or applicant) must sign and affix a seal or fingerprint.

3. Domestic–Foreign Joint Survey Cooperation Agreement (2 photocopies)

Source: Prepared by applicant

Legal Basis: Article 43 of the *Wildlife Protection Law of the People’s Republic of China*

Acceptance Criteria: Both parties must sign, affix seals, and include dates; clauses must be clear; the agreement must be valid and within its term.

III. Acceptance Conditions

1. Must comply with relevant Chinese laws and regulations;

2. Must have a Chinese partner organization;

3. Must not harm aquatic wild animals or damage their habitats;

4. Must not be for commercial purposes;

5. Must not involve intellectual property disputes.

IV. Legal Basis

Wildlife Protection Law of the People’s Republic of China (Presidential Decree No. 9, promulgated November 8, 1988; amended 2004, 2009, 2016, 2018, 2022; effective May 1, 2023):

Article 7: The forestry and grassland authority and the fisheries authority under the State Council are responsible for nationwide protection of terrestrial and aquatic wild animals, respectively. Local governments at or above the county level are responsible for such work within their jurisdictions.

Article 43: Foreigners conducting field surveys or filming (movies, videos, etc.) involving national key protected wild animals in China must obtain approval from the wild animal protection authority of the provincial people’s government (or its authorized body) and comply with relevant laws and regulations.

V. FAQs

Q: What should be included in the application report?

A: The report must specify time, location, participants, and purpose.

Q: Is limited specimen collection allowed during surveys?

A: Activities must strictly follow the approved plan; any collection beyond the plan is prohibited.

Q: Is there a limit on the number of participants?

A: The number should be reasonably arranged based on the survey purpose; there are no fixed restrictions.